Panama hails collapse in Chinese ship detentions as relations thaw
- Chinese detentions of Panama-flagged ships fell to 16 in July from a peak of 140 in May
- The decline followed bilateral talks in Beijing and an agreement to renew the China-Panama maritime transport agreement
- Beijing’s crackdown triggered a record exodus from the Panama registry, as tensions over CK Hutchison’s former canal port concessions remain unresolved
Detentions have returned to normal levels as Beijing and Panama move to renew their maritime agreement despite unresolved tensions over two Panama Canal ports
